As the Hugh Jackman-starring animation Rise Of The Guardians finally readies itself for release at the US Box Office this week, the final batch of reviews have come in and, whilst there is the odd dissenter, the overall voice of the critical community is veering towards the positive.

The Los Angeles Times strikes the tone for the cautious praise being thrown at the film, writing: “There is a lot to savor in Rise of the Guardians, but sometimes too much of a good thing can be exhausting.” The New York Times are another who balance their praise, commenting “The busy, 3-D animation relies a bit too much on madcap flight sequences and vast, vaulted spaces, but the character design has real warmth, and the animation is frequently witty and sometimes mesmerizing,” whilst USA Today chips in with “With its fanciful razzle-dazzle, Rise of the Guardians is appealing, if slightly hectic, family fare.”

However, Time Out New York weren’t impressed at all, saying “As revisionist holiday fables go, you're better off watching Aardman's delightful Arthur Christmas than this lump of coal.” Thank goodness for the Village Voice then, which chirruped “At times, it approaches some of Pixar's best.” The story of Rise Of The Guardians is classic fare, with an evil force known as Pitch planning to take over the world, the Guardians thus forced to unite to take him down.